Washington – The Computer & Communications Industry Association will testify today before the Kansas House Committee on Federal and State Affairs in opposition to SB 372, an app store age verification bill that raises constitutional, privacy, and implementation concerns.
CCIA supports lawmakers’ goal of protecting children online and will warn that SB 372 would condition access to lawful digital content on age verification requirements that courts have repeatedly found to be unconstitutional. The association will also highlight:
- Similar laws are facing legal challenges because they restrict access to protected speech for both minors and adults seeking lawful news, educational, and expressive content online.
- Concerns that the bill’s age verification provisions could require the collection of sensitive personal information, including government-issued identification or biometric data, creating new privacy and cybersecurity risks for users.
During testimony, CCIA will emphasize that parents already have access to a wide range of existing tools, including parental controls, privacy settings, and screen-time management features, allowing families to tailor online experiences without requiring broad government mandates or identity verification systems.
The following statement can be attributed to Megan Stokes, State Policy Director at CCIA:
“Protecting children online is an important and shared goal. SB 372 risks undermining free expression and user privacy while creating significant practical challenges for implementation. Families already have access to effective parental control tools that allow them to manage their children’s digital experiences without requiring widespread collection of sensitive personal data. We urge lawmakers to focus on empowering parents and promoting digital literacy rather than adopting measures that raise serious constitutional and privacy concerns.”
